Flavored popcorn per se is not new and such flavored popcorn products as "Craker Jack" brand flavored popcorn, caramel coated popcorn, cheese coated popcorn and popcorn balls are well known. All of the usual prior art methods require a flavoring step after the popping step wherein a flavoring substance is sprayed or poured on the popcorn, usually followed by mixing in an attempt to evenly apply the flavor to the popcorn. This prior art methodology has proven disadvantageous to the extent that it requires a separate flavoring step which is convenient and sometimes difficult to carry out either commercially or in the home, and further, the resulting product is sometimes unsatisfactory due to inadequate distribution of the flavoring on the popcorn. These prior art problems have been solved by the one step popping and flavoring technique of the present invention.
A further disadvantage of the prior art methods, and concomitantly an advantage of the present invention, is the generally limited variety of flavors available in flavored popcorn for home preparation. Pursuant to this invention a relatively large variety of flavors are available including for example spice, herb, fruit, meat and dairy flavors for one step flavored popcorn preparation.